1. The article is pretty factual...

... except it takes the point of view that if something isn't done by Jan 1, all is lost.

That is of course absurd and congress will act before things get out of hand. They will especially not let the precious Pentagon suffer any real cuts. And most likely a return to current rates for those making less than $250K - $400K will also be enacted, one way or another.

Going over the cliff, for now, is better than any other deal on the table, that is for sure.